disarm

1 of 2

verb

dis·​arm dis-ˈärm 

diz-, 

ˈdis-ˌärm

disarmed; disarming; disarms

transitive verb

1

a

: to deprive of means, reason, or disposition to be hostile

disarmed criticism by admitting her errors

b

: to win over

2

a

: to divest of arms

disarm captured troops

b

: to deprive of a means of attack or defense

disarm a ship

c

: to make harmless

disarm a bomb

intransitive verb

1

: to lay aside arms

2

: to give up or reduce armed forces

disarmament

ˌdis-ˈär-mə-mənt 

noun

disarmer noun

disarmer

2 of 2

noun

dis·​arm·​er

¦disˈärmər

: a person who favors disarmament

a nuclear disarmer

Synonyms of disarm

Verb

• demilitarize
• demobilize

Examples of disarm in a Sentence

Verb

The government has been unsuccessful at disarming the rebels.

The terrorists have refused to disarm.

It took more than an hour to disarm the bomb.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

During a 2021 mass shooting at a school in Oxford, Michigan, police responded within minutes of the emergency calls and disarmed a 15-year-old boy in a shooting that killed four students and injured seven others. — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

As bomb technicians struggled to disarm the explosive, the FBI raced against the clock to deliver the ransom while simultaneously hunting the extortionists. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026

And Netanyahu also pushed back on the deal, saying that Israel won’t withdraw from its current lines in Gaza until Hamas has completely disarmed. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

The prime minister had initially rejected the latest 15-point disarmament and withdrawal blueprint outright, saying Israeli forces would stay put until Hamas was fully and finally disarmed. — Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English desarmen, literally, to divest of arms, from Anglo-French desarmer, from des- dis- + armer to arm

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for disarm

• alarm
• forearm
• gendarme
• nonfarm
• rearm
• arm
• charm
• farm
• harm
• firearm
• underarm

Kids Definition

disarm

verb

dis·​arm (ˈ)dis-ˈärm 

1

: to take weapons from

disarm a prisoner

2

: to reduce the size and strength of the armed forces of a country

3

: to make harmless, peaceable, or friendly : remove dislike or suspicion

a disarming smile

disarmament

-ˈär-mə-mənt 

noun